>The reply I'm most curious about is Sam's. I am sure there are some districts that do so, if he says so, but personally I have never heard of a school year that starts the first week in August.

I haven't run across first week of August, but I remember Della's kids starting around the 10th (can't remember if that was in Tennessee or North Carolina). I have a cousin who teaches somewhere around Santa Cruz, CA, and they also start around then. She explained that they're off about 5 weeks around Christmas because so many of the families go home to Mexico then.

Here, most schools are starting this week, though some started last. Other than my cousin's situation, where they start early to make up for a long break mid-year, I've never understood why some places seem to be starting earlier and earlier. Why would you want kids in school at the hottest part of the year?

Tamar